Hello Sunshine
by tothestarsdear
Summary: The Tween Choice Awards are coming up, but as always, things tend to get in the way and Joe Jonas finds out he has a spot waiting for him next to Zac Efron. Sonny and Chad.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, thanks so much for reading my story last time. I fell in love with Sonny and Chad because there are just infinite possibilities when it comes to their relationship. And I have no idea what came over me but I couldn't stop thinking about them, so I came up with this. This is one of the longer stories I've written and I know this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if it is, I just hope you'll be able to enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it!**

**Oh and by the way if you can spot out a couple of other DC references I made, I'll give you a cookie… sort of :)**

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The prop house was in complete chaos. Paper bouquets and bowling pins littered the floor as Grady tore through a box full of miscellaneous items. Rehearsals were about to start in five minutes, and he couldn't find his props anywhere. After he removed a scuba tank, a coat of arms, and some surgeon scrubs, he pulled out a medium-sized foam pig and threw it haphazardly behind him. It soared quickly through the air and hit Zora, who was already in costume.

"Hey watch it. Do I have use my catapult on you?" The young girl asked. She had been fiddling with her invention in the back of the room, trying to get it to hurl things two times faster, and was eager to test it out.

"Has anyone seen my fire helmet and rubber nose?" He asked frantically, disregarding her comment.

"Did you check under the giant spatula near the tiny oven?" Sighed Tawni, who was sitting on the couch with the remote, flipping through channels. She turned around over the couch to glance at him, and the slight movement caused her over-sized wig to bob slightly.

"Oh, found them!"

Just then, Sonny bounced in, fully clad in a firefighter's uniform and dragging a plastic hose behind her, which scraped against the floor. "Hey, are you guys ready yet? We have to go out and-"

But just then, Tawni interrupted her, waving her hand in the air. "Shh... You guys, they're announcing the nominees for the Tween Choice Awards!"

Sonny and everyone else had been anticipating the results for months now. The whole cast ran in every week after the show, to check online during their traditional ice cream routine. They were dying to be the first ones to break the news to everyone at McKenzie Falls so they could brag about how "Chuckle City" still managed to be nominated, even if they were just a silly little comedy. Ironically, no one took them seriously and they hated having to see Chad do the same after-show interview year after year. They were still sore about it, since he rubbed it in their faces every chance he got. It kind of had become a ritual for them, but it hurt all the same.

Nico, who had been sitting in the corner casually flipping through a magazine, suddenly got up and quickly ran over. He smoothly jumped over a chair, then plopped onto the couch and straightened his hat.

"And now, for the best Tween television show…"

"McKenzie Falls."

When that had been announced, everyone let out the breath they had been holding and groaned in exasperation.

"Every single year." Nico said, shaking his fist. And Grady walked over, sat down, and patted him consolingly on the shoulder.

"Alright, come on, come on…" Said Grady, who now had his fingers crossed and was rocking slightly back and forth while clips from the previous seasons of McKenzie falls continued to flash across the screen.

"It's okay you guys, we got this." Sonny said reassuringly.

Suddenly, bright yellow letters flashed across the screen, as another title popped up.

"So Random." The announcer said, his voice booming.

"Yeah!" Grady said, as he high-fived Nico.

"That's what I'm talking about." Zora shouted, as everyone got to their feet and started jumping up and down, screaming. But they all stopped abruptly when the announcer continued.

"And…"

"And?" Wait, why is there an _and_?" Tawni asked, as the panic rose in her voice audibly.

"Sweet Niblets."

"Those are this year's nominations for The Tween Choice Awards, don't forget to show your love and vote!" Then the screen quickly changed and a commercial jingle about whole wheat bread came on.

But no one was paying attention.

"Sweet Niblets is nominated this year? There's never been an extra show in that category before." Grady said.

With a new show in the mix, all ideas of bragging rights went out the window. Now, they weren't just competing with one another, which meant they both had an equal chance of losing.

"Oh why I ougtta..." Zora threatened, as she quickly ran back to her catapult and flung a piece of pepper jack cheese at the screen.

Sonny just shook her head and looked around at everyone's distressed faces. She remembered how Marshall had been the first to tell them the bad news a while back during their pirate sketch, when Sweet Niblets had been in it's early production stage. After they had finished rehearsing, Sonny removed a paper mâche parrot from her shoulder and joined everyone around the snack table. She was pouring herself a cup of fruit punch, when Marshall ran in, out of breath. He explained that producers had just approached Hannah Montana and wanted to green light a show based on her life, about a famous pop star who was leading a double life. No one really took it seriously, until Hannah started doing interviews, answering questions about which actress she wanted to play herself. And then, the ads were everywhere- on billboards, posters, and even on buses, replacing Chad's dreamy face. Sonny wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, since she stopped having to stare at him everywhere she went. But now, it didn't seem too good.

"Yeah, and according to Tween Magazine…" Nico said, as he pointed to an article he found, pulling Sonny back into the present.

"What, what does it say?" Grady asked.

Nico cleared his throat and read the excerpt loudly so everyone could hear.

"There's been a lot of buzz about this rising hot new show, which will have Hannah Montana guest star as herself on an upcoming episode. Will The Falls and So Random! be able to take the heat?"

"It looks like they have a good chance of beating both McKenzie Falls. _And,_ _us." _Nico wailed, as his voice squeaked and went several pitches higher than usual. He paused to recollect himself and continued.

"But it gets even worse… Its not just the awards." He continued.

"If we don't do something soon and people keep watching Sweet Niblets, that could mean goodbye to stage 3. And goodbye to So Random!.

Sonny turned as she heard a strangled sound and looked at Tawni, who was beginning to cry.

"Tawni..." Sonny said softly as Tawni got up to get a better look at the magazine.

She turned it around for everyone to see.

"And my hair looks terrible in that picture!"


	2. Chapter 2

Grady held out his plate to Brenda as she scooped a giant spoonful of unidentified food onto it. One of the cast members of McKenzie Falls then sauntered up, expectantly. She proceeded to uncover a plate from underneath the counter and handed him a mouth watering steak. When he saw this, Grady rolled his eyes, walked over, and threw his plate on the table as he sat down next to Zora, who was stirring her food. Tawni sat in the corner, resting her head in one hand, as she spooned through the muck. She lifted her spoon up and down and just watched it run down into her plate.

They had just finished rehearsals, which turned out to be a huge disaster. Their new sketch was about a group of cowardly firefighter clowns who were trying to get a cat out of a tree. The fire house, which was specifically built for that skit, had two stories- The one above was the sleeping area, which had two exaggeratedly undersized beds, where Nico and Grady slept with their legs and arms dangling over for comedic effect. The lower story was separated by a large fire pole, and housed a toddler-sized motorized fire truck. It opened to the "outside world," which was the right half of the stage. There was a backdrop that featured a suburban street and a bright yellow fire hydrant. And in the corner, stood a large looming prop tree, which balanced a stuffed cat on one of the giant limbs.

When it was all clear, Marshall then called out his usual countdown. "Alright, rehearsal for FireFlighters in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

Everything started out as they had planned. Nico and Grady awoke to the sound of two alarm clocks and as they reached to turn them off, they both fell off their beds. The fire alarm, or in this case, a bicycle horn, sounded and the two hurriedly put on their uniforms and boots over their flannel pajamas. Nico then feigned a wide yawn as he slid down the fire pole... except, he missed his cue and slid down too early. He almost landed on Sonny, as she was lugging a giant hose off of the firehouse wall and she tried to avoid him. But, this caused her to trip over Zora, who she was sitting on the curb, dressed as an old lady. Sonny went flying into Tawni, who had been standing by the fire hydrant, and the blonde girl was knocked off balance. Tawni then stepped backwards, causing the hydrant to topple over and the lid came shooting off. White foam came soaring out and it sprayed everybody. Grady was hit in the face as he finally managed to get down, and he stumbled blindly backwards into the set, which caused the tree to come crashing down.

Marshall, who had witnessed the entire thing, leapt out of his executive producer chair and came to help them. He asked them what was going on, since they usually were great, and they explained about the nominations. Then, he suggested a long lunch break for all of them, which is why they were in the cafeteria just now.

"You know, it's bad enough that we have extra competition that can run us off the air, but McKenzie Falls over there is eating lobster and steak again. It's just the icing on the cake." Nico said.

"Are we having cake?" Zora asked, suddenly pepped up.

"Not if you count that." Tawni replied as she pointed over to the green board menu, which had the word _cake_ written in scrawled cursive and crossed out vehemently. Added in right before it was the word _rice_.

"Great, not only do we _not_ have cake, but we also only have rice for dessert." Grady said, grudgingly

Sonny looked around and sighed. She couldn't help but feel terrible as well, but she always managed to see the brighter side of things.

"Well, it could be worse. I mean come on you guys, we've worked so hard for this and we still have a chance of winning." She said, trying to cheer them up.

But they all just stared at her until Zora finally broke the tension. "Yeah, well, its kind of true… Ever since Sonny joined the cast, our ratings have gone through the roof."

She looked around and elbowed Grady for support.

"Our show _has_ been the best it has ever been." He piped in, even though it didn't sound like he really believed that they had a chance of winning.

"See, that's more like it."

Sonny smiled as she listened to them and then glanced over at The Falls' table. All of the cast members had their heads lowered as they spoke in soft tones.

"What's the matter? No one has even touched their food." Chad said, as he looked around the table, confused.

"Did you hear about Sweet Niblets?" Portlyn replied, as she swiped her long hair behind her and leaned towards him.

"Lets face it Chad, our show hasn't been doing very well ever since last season. "The only way that the-"

But she was drowned out by the sound of Chad's phone.

"Wait, hold on a sec."

"Hello?"

"Chad Dylan Cooper?" The voice on the other line asked.

"Yes?"

Chad removed the white napkin from under his chin and stood up. He then left the room for a while, came back, and put his phone back in his pocket.

"What happened?" Portlyn asked as he sat back down in a daze.

"I was just offered a big movie deal. But it's not just a small role anymore. They saw my character on McKenzie Falls, and they want me to star in the lead. Except, it starts next month, the same time that we start shooting for the new season."

As soon as he said that, the entire table let out a big gasp. That caught the attention of Tawni, who told the cast of So Random to be quiet and listen.

"But you're the star of our show. If you leave Chad, it's all over for us." Portlyn said, as her breath quickened. It was as though she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Zora, who was straining to hear, pushed her chair backwards and was leaning on it as the front legs were lifted in the air. "Did you hear that?" She asked.

"If McKenzie Falls goes off the air, we still have a shot at being the number one TV show!" Tawni exclaimed, as everyone started celebrating.

Everyone from The Falls turned over as they heard So Random!'s uncontainable happiness and Chad knew that they had overheard.

Nico then stood up and strolled over to Portlyn who was crying. "My la-dy…it's gonna be okay…" He said with his signature chuckle, as he magically pulled out a tissue from his vest and straightened it with a downward motion of his hand. "If you ever need a shoulder to cry on.." He continued, as he took advantage of the situation and placed his arm over her shoulder.

"Sonny, isn't this awesome?" Tawni asked her.

Sonny suddenly felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. It was as though the floor had suddenly opened up and she was dropping to nowhere and never going to stop. If Chad accepted the offer, it meant that So Random had finally got the best of McKenzie Falls. That's what they all had wanted for so long now, what she wanted ever since the day her peace picnic failed. But it also meant that she might not see him again. If it had been earlier, she might have even been a little happy about it, because she always hated how he knew exactly what it took to get to her. But, in spite of everything, she knew that his presence had always been larger than life, and not just to her. If he was gone, there would be an unmistakable void, like something was missing. And she was afraid that it'd be something she wouldn't be able to fill.

"Yeah…it is…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Why is it that they get to take the limo, and we don't, again?" Grady grumbled, as they squished tightly into Marshall's car. All he could think about was leg space and built-in coolers, which held cans of ice cold soda.

Sonny sighed as she shifted around, trying to find a comfortable spot. She secretly wanted to ride in the limo as well, but wouldn't admit it. She always loved it when her mom used to drive her around Wisconsin. It was a rare sight, and whenever she saw a limo driving next to them, she'd guess whether or not the person inside was famous.

"It's because our driver had some bad shrimp today…And besides, the hotel is only 15 minutes away from the studio. It wouldn't have been worth it anyway." She said.

"And _apparently_, because the word _truce_ has its limits, including limo privileges." She said under her breath as she stared out the window, crossing her arms.

Right after Chad made his movie deal announcement, Marshall came in to tell them they were required to do some pre-award show press coverage and rehearsals because both casts were going to be accepting and presenting. The interviews had been scheduled in a local hotel in Hollywood and all the members in each category were to be interviewed during separate days. He decided to go ahead and make reservations so that they could finish the interviews and rehearsals all at once and not have to worry about driving back and forth for the awards.

It had been a while since then, and since everyone heard about the nominations, and they still had several weeks to try and get fans to vote.

And as the peacemaker she was, Sonny decided to come up with a plan to save the show.

The thing was, McKenzie Falls had started losing steam during their last season. But it wasn't just because of So Random! or Sweet Niblets. Fans were getting tired of seeing the same old storylines and drama over and over again. It was getting stale because the writers had used up a lot of exciting material in the beginning, and the producers were getting anxious. Chad was getting a little desperate and he even asked Sonny for help. She decided to guest star in his show and they came upon on a shaky truce. Both shows also agreed to give shout outs during the credits to boost ratings and agreed to remind fans to vote.

_But_, peace was relative, as they all found out.

That morning, Sonny finished packing and walked out to the parking lot, where everyone was waiting by the limo. She held her dress, which was covered in plastic, in one hand, and reached down to grab the door with the other, only to have it close shut. And as she shifted the dress against her knee to balance it, she heard the lock click. There was a whirring sound, as the window rolled down and Chad stuck his head out.

"Hmm.. it seems like there's no more room in here." He said.

"Chad, the limo is huge." She said as she as she expanded her arm along the length of the car to make her point.

"Plus," she continued. "We made a deal. It doesn't matter who wins as long as one of us beats Sweet Niblets. And you said you'd help us out remember?" She said as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Um…yeah, I don't actually." Chad said as he pretended to think.

"We shook hands and pinkie swore!"

He looked at her and smiled while shaking his head, amused at how faithful she was to a deal usually made by 4 year olds. It was just so typically Sonny.

"Well, we all have a hotel spa appointment that we're going to be late for, _so_ it looks like we'll see you later." He replied, waving his fingers as the limo drove off, leaving her huffing.

And that's how she ended up sandwiched between Grady and Zora while Nico and Tawni played the license plate game in the back of the car.

Tawni was just to about to yell out _Michigan_ as she looked at a passing Volkswagen, when suddenly, Marshall put on the brakes.

"Well guys, we're here!"

Sonny looked up at the top of a green awning, which had _The Tipton _etched in gold shimmering letters and watched it as it blew softly against a breeze.

She then unhooked her seat belt and waited until Grady got out. As she stepped down, she was helped out by a white-gloved hand. "Thank you." She said.

Then, she walked around to the trunk and proceeded to grab her orange suit case.

"Oh no, I got it, miss." Said the bell hop, as he lugged their items onto a cart.

"Tawni, where are all of your things?" Nico asked as Sonny turned around to look at her friends. "Oh over there." She said as she pointed at a separate cart, which was filled from head to toe with her pink boxes and bags.

"You know that we're only going to be staying here for a several days, right?"

"I know, but have you seen their shampoo bottles?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Sonny said, as she stared around the fancy lobby and up at the brightly light ceiling, which let sunlight stream through."

"I know, its huge!" Said Nico. "I think I'm really gonna like this."

"Its alright...I mean, I've seen better." Said a voice.

Sonny whirled around and saw the cast of McKenzie Falls, who were just finishing their check in.

The Tipton was world renown for its luxury accommodations, five star ratings and excellent service. Guests, who ranged from opera singers to presidents and kings, traveled from all over the world just to stay here, and he had seen _better_? Of course he had.

"Huh…well I love what you've done to your shirt, Chad." She said, while pointing at a large stain that had soaked through, presumably from the ice cold soda they had in the limo. The driver must have driven over a pot hole or something and Grady laughed, smugly satisfied.

"Well, you can laugh all you want, but we'll all be hanging out in our Presidential Suite. I hear it has a bowling alley, arcade _and _a smoothie bar." Chad said, mockingly emphasizing the last phrase as they all haughtily turned around and walked towards the elevator.

"Smoothie bar?" Nico voicelessly mouthed to Grady, who just shrugged.


	5. Chapter 5

"They have an arcade in there…" Zora said dismally, as Nico opened the door to their room. "We call that one!" Grady shouted as he barged inside and leapt onto one of the king sized beds. "Hey! Look at this, they have pillow mints!" He said gleefully.

Tawni, who had been setting up a large mirror by her desk then walked over to the bathroom. She flipped the light switch on and off and analyzed the mirror, which was thankfully, to her taste. But, then she saw the mini travel sized soaps and conditioners and walked over to her bags, which had been brought up by the bellhop. She grabbed one, went back in, and set up all of her products. When she was finished, she dusted off her hands and sat down with a satisfied 'Humph!'

Meanwhile, Sonny set down her suitcase and walked towards the window. She uncovered the large curtain and let light filter into the entire room.

"Wow, look at this view, it's beautiful."

But she tore her eyes away from the window when a sudden knock came from one side of the wall from an adjoining door.

She walked over to open it. It was Marshall.

"Hey guys, I'm in the room next door in case anything happens. If you need me, just give me a call or be sure to knock…Oh, and Sonny, your mom left me a message. She wanted me to remind you to call her every night and to wear sun block, eat your vegetables and to stay out of trouble."

"Thanks, Marshall, we appreciate it." She said, genuinely and she gently closed the door.

Sonny was just about to sit down on the bed to relax, when she heard the loud blaring of a TV. The guests next door had switched it on and they continued to increase the volume.

"Shh…Time for talking is over."

Sonny groaned and rolled her eyes as she heard that famous line, which was followed by the credits.

"Well, good thing it's over…" She said, relieved, only to hear the famous opening theme song start again.

Great. Just what they needed. More McKenzie Falls fans and an all-day marathon.

It was true that So Random! now had a chance of winning and of being kept on the air, but The Falls were busy playing Astro-Force Blaster and drinking their stupid Logan Berry smoothies upstairs- which she was sure they imported somehow, since the berries were only ripe once a year- and they were stuck here, listening to Chad's voice.

"Maybe we should just go swimming." Said Zora as she looked around at everyone.

"Or shopping." Tawni suggested.

"It's okay, I got it."

Sonny then swiftly crossed the room and knocked loudly on the second adjoining door. "Hi, excuse me, could you please turn it down in there, we're-"

It suddenly opened as she was knocking, and she fell slightly forward and hit empty air as the person moved just in time to avoid her.

"Whoa, somebody needs to control her anger." He said, as he leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms.

"Sonny, it's not my fault that every girl wants me and you can't have me."

"Chad? What are you doing here?" She asked, in utter disbelief, disregarding his last comment.

"Chad?" The rest of the So Random cast echoed, as they gathered around Sonny near the door.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the Presidential Suite, bowling or looking at yourselves in a mirror or something?" Sonny said.

"Very Funny."

"Apparently, the Presidential Suite was booked already." He explained. "The Jonas Brothers were asked to perform for the Tween Choice Awards and checked into the room before we could."

"Did you hear that? The Jonas Brothers are in the hotel!" Tawni screamed ecstatically. She ran back towards the mirror and started fixing her makeup. "Hi Joe, I'm Tawni, nice to meet you." She said, extending her arm out into the air.

Sonny just ignored her and turned back to Chad.

She was about to say something, when he cut her off.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to finish watching The Falls." Chad said, as he smirked.

"Well, could you turn it do-"

But he closed the door before she could finish.


	6. Chapter 6

"Sorry Sonny, but we have to do it, it's for your own good." Nico said sympathetically, as the cast of So Random! shoved her out of the hotel room, and shut the door.

After Chad had appeared on the other side of the door, she decided that she wasn't going to let him get away with having the last word. Sure, The Falls no longer had the Presidential Suite, but they were next door and that was good enough for her.

And that's why they had been arguing back and forth, opening and slamming shut the door after she knocked on it again, and started yelling at him about how inconsiderate he had been. And when the members of both casts became fed up, they locked it on both sides. She and Chad then resorted to shouting at each other through the door or knocking as loudly as they could to annoy the other person.

Which, is why they kicked her out.

She heard the second lock slide into place as she stumbled back and bumped into someone.

"Oh, excuse me. She said. I'm so sorry I-"

She sighed and rolled her eyes as she saw who it was.

And what exactly, are you doing out here?" She asked.

"I was just going to get ice-"

"Ice..." she said, looking at his empty hands. He didn't have a bucket.

"Yeah, in case you didn't know ice is frozen liquid wat-" He began, mockingly, but was cut off.

"And take this with you!"

Just then, the door swung open and all Sonny could see was a black blur as Chad's blazer flew out and hit him in the face, covering his head.

"Um hmm.." She said, disbelieving, as he removed it and held it in his hands.

"They kicked you out too, didn't they?"

"Yeah…"


	7. Chapter 7

Sonny had no idea how it happened. But it had always been that way with them. One moment, they'd be arguing about how he was such a self-centered drama snob or about how childish she was, and the next thing she knew, he had managed to smooth-talk his way out with his McKenzie charm and stupid perfect skin, fancy clothes, and windswept hair.

And now, she was slowly walking along Hollywood Boulevard, eating an ice cream cone as the sun was getting ready to set, wondering how she let him talk her into heading out with him this time.

Because if she didn't know any better, it would have seemed like it was a date.

He had asked the chauffeur to drop them off at the beginning of the Walk of Fame, under a silver metal canopy and they had spent the whole afternoon together since then.

Sonny looked around as they walked, soaking up the atmosphere. Everything was just so different from Wisconsin. She watched people as they snapped pictures and peered out of the windows of their cars, staring at the promises and dreams that Hollywood had to offer.

She licked some of her ice cream and then glanced at him for a while. For the past several weeks, she had noticed that he was a bit more cluttered than he used to be. His shirt might have been ironed to the core, his tie may he been straightened enough to choke him, and his pants had less creases than ever. But, every time she had come onto his set to confront him about how selfish he was being, he'd stumble over his lines before she had even said anything. And Chad Dylan Cooper _never_ stumbled over his lines.

She knew that there had been extra pressure on his shoulders ever since the show ratings stared to go down. But, she rarely got a chance to talk to him alone and every time they did and he was close to letting her in, he'd get scared and cover it up with an act. She thought that for such a good actor, he could have done a better job. Because to her, he was so transparent.

The thing was, they were always on different planes, going in opposite directions. Sonny always hated that he knew exactly what it took to push her buttons, how he always got under her skin. But she'd meet him head-on in return, and he'd stiffen and look uncomfortably around to see if anyone was watching every time she did something embarrassing- which was often. Then he'd accept her challenge, just to get her to stop. If that wasn't enough, he always went out of his way to make sure everyone knew that he only cared about himself.

Yet, somehow, as she'd noticed over time, even under all of his arrogance, he always caved every time she needed him. He'd mess up and say something insensitive before he had a chance to think, but he'd come around to fix things, even when he didn't have to. He was never _truly _dramatic the way he was on his show or the way he pretended to be, at least when they were alone. And, it was always the small things that showed he actually had a heart, like the genuine glimmer in his eyes that appeared, during rare occasions that were becoming more frequent, or when he was talking to her about something serious. Otherwise, it'd be when he placed his hand on her arm or the small of her back to explain something.

It was true, there was always going to be a chance that he'd care too much about his reputation to be with her, but everything about her made him want to be a better person somehow. She was just so honest and sincere, that he found it hard to keep up his act around her all the time. She got to him, good. And she knew it. Because sure, she might have been nice, but she wasn't a pushover. And she was always much smarter than people gave her credit for.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun had been shining brightly all day and he had now taken off his blazer. He swung it over his shoulder and held it in one hand as they walked side by side.

"So, I heard about your big movie deal." Sonny said, while looking at him.

"Yeah, I kinda figured." He replied, as a matter-of-factly.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, as she stepped on the point of a star, tracing the outline of it with her foot.

"I don't know. I mean, everyone at The Falls is counting on me and _you'd _love to see me gone right? " He said honestly, surprising himself.

But then he backtracked and made a big show of shrugging his shoulders and flipping his hair. "And, I'll probably need to hire a bodyguard to push away all those fan girls once I hit it big with this role, since I'm so handsome and all."

She stopped for a minute and sighed, disappointed. With him, they were always pushing and pulling.

"And here I thought we were going to actually have a serious conversation for once." She said, as she quickened her pace.

"Sonny, wait." He said, as he caught up to her in a couple of strides and placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Okay, I'm listening." She said, after pausing for a bit.

"Its just…" He said while he took a deep breath before beginning.

"I've always dreamed about this before I got the part on McKenzie Falls, and it feels like I've been given a chance to do something I never even thought was possible."

She shook her head and stared laughing, incredulously.

"Wait, why are you laughing at me, I thought that we were having a-"

"No, I'm not laughing at _you_. Its just so weird, because I felt the _exact _same way when I heard that I had gotten the part on So Random! and walked into the studio for the first time." She said, as they reached the front of The Grauman's Chinese theater and turned into it.

"I had dreamed about it for so long, but I had no idea what would happen."

He waited for her to continue.

"But, I didn't get along with everyone as I had hoped. Tawni hated me, and everything was different than what I thought it would be from the other side.

"And my mom told me that when you're chasing your dreams, there'll always be bumps along the way. And, as you know, now I wouldn't trade this for anything in the whole world. It all worked out for the best eventually…"

Well, if you discounted all the times the So Random! cast had been glued to inanimate objects and hit by food, or sabotaged- she could go on forever.

"_Until,_ you stole my yogurt." She continued playfully, raising her eyebrow.

He smiled, remembering the first time that they had met.

"And it was totally worth it, that was the best yogurt I'd ever had."

They had now walked in towards the entrance of the theater and she kneeled down, placing her hands into the cement, trying to fit them the ones already imprinted into the floor. He watched her for a bit, debating whether or not he should tell her how he really felt, and then sat down in front of her.

"Sonny, do you remember that time when I told you that I never doubted my abilities or wondered whether I was good enough?" Sonny nodded. "Well…" He paused. "I lied."

She suddenly remembered the day that she had dressed up as her own fan and ran around set all day wearing a fake beard. Although she didn't know what was stranger- the fact that she pretended to be a guy, or the fact that Tawni had easy access to clap on lights to _entertain _people.

But the point was, that wasn't the first time she had fallen for something he had said and believed it to be sincere. Over time, she slowly learned how to tell when he was just covering things up. But, even then, sometimes she still didn't understand why he did it.

"The first time that I felt that way was right when we shot the pilot for McKenzie Falls. And now, I'm _supposed _to be the star of the show, but I don't even know if I have what it takes to save it. The extra competition from Sweet Niblets doesn't exactly help either. And, to make things worse, everyone on The Falls blame me for it."

"They even cut me off from the chocolate fountain."

It always surprised her when he admitted something big like this. Because he rarely ever did it, especially in front of anyone else, and it meant that he was finally letting down his guard and trusting her. It took ages for her to get him to open up and when he did, it was definitely satisfying.

She was now absent-mindedly tracing the outline of a signature.

"Well, that doesn't sound like they're very supportive of you… I thought you guys were a tight-knit family."

He just shook his head while shrugging. Sometimes when The Falls were planning their schemes and trying to interfere with So Random!, he was reminded of how the cast used to be, before it all broke apart.

"I don't know what happened, we _used_ to be, but things changed…"

"Everything just happened so fast. After the show got really popular, everyone just drifted apart, and fame got to our heads."

"And then, if that wasn't enough," he continued. "There are all these crazy rumors, like the one about me and Portlyn dating."

When she heard the end of his sentence, she abruptly stopped tracing the cement.

"_Were_ you, ever together?" She asked expectantly, while furrowing her brow, not looking at him.

"No, no..." Portlyn and I have always just been friends. He said, and she let out a small breath, relieved.

"Why?" He asked her slowly, and her eyes widened.

"No reason. It's just a question." She said quickly.

"Wait, it matters to you doesn't it?"

"What? No, it doesn't."

"_Yeah_, it does."

"For your information, I was just asking, because if you cared about... _someone_… like Portlyn… you'd at least think about staying on McKenzie Falls, right?"

"So now, you care about whether or not I stay?" He said, looking at her teasingly.

"I didn't say that…But considering all the things that you have done to us, it'd be the best thing that ever happened, and actually, yeah, I would love it if you left."

"Would you?" He asked, as he looked at her seriously.

"Would you, really?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi, I just want to say thank you to those who have continued to read my story. There have been a couple of DC references made in the last several chapters- can anyone spot them out?**

**Well, anyway, please review, so that I know that there are more readers who would like me to continue on, I'd appreciate it!** **:) I'd also love to know if there's something that just sticks out to you and you find it touching or funny, etc.. ****Oh and I'm trying my best to update a couple of chapters everyday since I hate having to wait for months just to finish reading a story, even though I know that it's part of the fun.**

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Sonny never got the chance to answer him because they were interrupted by a fan who had recognized them and asked for a picture. Chad stood up and extended his arm to Sonny, helping her up. The girl then called her friends over and the two actors signed autographs for them, until people started noticing the commotion and gathered around, forming a big crowd. Sonny almost lost him in the disorder, but he managed to disentangle himself. As more people started coming, they decided that it was best to leave. But, the fans started to follow them.

He then grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers in hers, tugging her away as they ran back towards where the limo was parked. They weaved through all the people on the street, laughing and panting, as the sun left an orange yellow glow in the sky. And all she could remember before she fell asleep in her hotel bed, was the rush of wind through her hair, the steady rhythm of her feet as they pounded against the pavement, and how nice it felt to be holding on tightly to his hand, hoping that he'd never let it go.


	10. Chapter 10

**Charlie Adams pretty much hit the nail on the head with all the DC things - Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, and Jonas Brothers. There was also the 'Astro Force' Blaster, which was a reference That's So Raven, although I realized it should have been Astro Force _Five_- But I'll fix it! Anyway, enjoy the next several chapters :)**

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Sonny swiveled her chair around just in time to catch Nico's strike as the sound of crashing bowling pins filled the air. She laughed as he did a quick 360, tipped his hat and slid backwards, doing the moonwalk while the cast of McKenzie Falls grumbled to each other and pulled up their collared sleeves.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah...Who's the man? Can't touch this!"

The members of both shows had been relaxing and bowling all day, after they had finished being interviewed in the large Tipton event room, which had been transformed just for the occasion.

Portlyn now walked up to Nico and lightly shoved him out of the way as she prepared for her turn. She missed only one pin and he shouted, "That's what I'm talking about, my lady can bowl!"

Grady just dropped his face into his palm and Zora stomped up to him.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be on our side?"

"Right…" He said, as he looked down, embarrassed. But then he offered Portlyn his chair as she came over to sit down. "But there's nothing wrong with being a gen-tle-man."

Zora rolled her eyes and turned around to watch the rest of the game.

Sonny then turned her attention back to the smoothie counter and watched as a glass effortlessly slid down and stopped right in front of her.

"Impressive." She said, while clapping her hands lightly.

"I thought that you'd like that, the person behind the bar said with a sly smile, as he stuck a mini umbrella in with a flourish. Sonny shook her head while grinning, and tried to ignore the heat that was rising in her cheeks. She fiddled with her straw as she tried to figure out how she had ended up here, in the Presidential Suite with Joe Jonas- and, well, everyone else.

"Except, I don't think that Chad looks very impressed..." Joe said, as he trailed off, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up at him and noticed that Joe was staring behind her.

"What?"

Sonny turned around again and saw Chad glaring icily at them. She met his eyes and he blinked as he looked away quickly. Then, he straightened his blazer and turned his attention back to the bowling lane.

Then she remembered how.

They had been arguing in the elevator.

It was right after they'd finished rehearsing and going over their presentations for their assigned categories. Chad had had the last word, as usual, but she refused to let him get out on their floor and pushed the very last button defiantly, just so she could finish.

"That wasn't a date…" He said, as he looked at her and smirked.

Sonny was usually a very non-violent person, but when it came to Chad, he was an exception. Everything about him was. She knew that if they had somehow managed to get themselves stuck, he wouldn't exactly come out unscathed. But then she quickly realized what she had thought, and felt relieved when she heard the loud chiming sound as the elevator reached another floor. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in an elevator with Chad Dylan Cooper.

"I didn't say it was a date. Besides, _you're_ the one who asked me to come with you."

"You went because you clearly couldn't resist me."

"Actually, I-"

But she was interrupted when the elevator door opened and revealed three guys with dark curly hair.

It was the Jonas Brothers.

"Hey, you guys, it's Chad Dylan Cooper!" Nick said as he lightly smacked Joe's arm to get his attention.

Sonny tore her eyes away from Chad and looked up. The elevator door was about to close again, but Sonny stopped it with her arm, and they walked out into the hallway.

"Frankie told us all about your Birthday Party, thanks for inviting him. We love your show, by the way." Kevin said.

"It's amazing." Nick agreed, as he nodded vigorously.

"And that line…" Joe started. He dramatically did the hair-flip he was famous for and tried to pull a serious face while pointing his index finger in the air. "Shh…Time for talking is over."

Sonny watched him and couldn't help but laugh. He just looked so ridiculous and endearing at the same time.

Meanwhile, Chad became aware of this and turned to her.

"I thought you hated that line."

"Not when he says it." She said, keeping her eyes on Joe.

Joe turned then to look at her and extended his arm, smiling, as a hint of recognition crossed his face.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Joe." she finished with a huge grin, as she tried to contain her giddiness. "I know, I absolutely love your music, I think it's incredible. Oh, by the way, I'm-"

"Sonny Monroe." Joe finished for her.

"Yeah. I know. We love your show. Its hilarious, especially that one sketch where you were pelted with fries…" He said.

"And then you held that giant trash lid up…"Nick continued.

"But then you still got splashed with ketchup anyway." Kevin said, finishing off his brother's sentence." And they all laughed, as though it was some great inside joke.

Chad scoffed next to her, but she was beaming. She turned to him smugly and said, "See? At least _somebody_ seems to think it's funny…"

And he gave her a look.

"Hey, we were just about to head over to the pool, but since you're here, why don't you come on in to our suite?" Joe asked both of them, although he was looking at Sonny.

"We'd love to." She said.


	11. Chapter 11

Tawni decided to skip out on the bowling game, and was now sitting in a cushioned chair next to a large pin ball machine. The lights flashed brightly every time someone scored, and now it glowed a vivid green. She had been watching Nick and Kevin, who were in the arcade battling it out for points and her attention. It beeped loudly, and Kevin groaned as Nick beat his high score. Nick sat back down next to Tawni, and they started talking. Then, Kevin stood up and stretched his arms out, getting ready for a showdown.

When Tawni realized that Joe only had eyes for Sonny, she had gotten pretty upset. But just then, Tawni's laugh suddenly sounded from the corner, and Sonny had a feeling that she didn't care so much anymore.

"Oh don't mind him." Sonny said, referring to Chad's cold shoulder, as she turned to face Joe again.

"Well, let me tell you this. I'll mind, if you don't say yes to my next question."

"Okay." She said simply, intrigued.

"What is it?" She asked, as she placed a strand of her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms, leaning closer to him, as though they were sharing a secret.

"How about I take you to dinner tonight?"

She looked down and bit her lip.

"I mean, we don't have to or anything, I was just-" He backpedaled, as he looked at her, afraid that she was about to say no.

"You mean as in, a date?" She interrupted.

"Yeah, a date." He nodded.

"Then, yes." She said quickly, before he had a chance to change his mind.

"I would love to, yes." She repeated, more slowly and he smiled.

"So, should I meet you down in the hotel restaurant later?" She asked.

"No, I think I have something better in mind." He said, mysteriously.

She couldn't wait.


	12. Chapter 12

**I know you're all waiting for more Sonny and Chad moments, and there will be- after this, don't worry!**

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"I think that was the biggest guitar I'd ever seen." Sonny said, as she stared at a large picture frame. The glass was so clean, that she could see her reflection in it.

They had walked into the entrance of the Hard Rock Café- which displayed a giant guitar in the front -and were now looking at the various collections of memorabilia that had been strewn across the walls. "Watch your step." He said, as they continued up the stairs and walked past the vintage automobile that was mounted in the middle on the room, next to the bar. He had suggested going up onto the second level, just so that they could have some more privacy.

She now bent down to read the inscription on the next item and when she glanced up, he was making a face at her in the glass. She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him, before she noticed what was in the case. "Wow, look at this, it's a jumpsuit actually worn by Elvis in the 1970s."

She laughed softly as she pictured Grady in his Elvis costume.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just remembering this one skit we did a few seasons ago. I wore this blonde curly wig and got to try on all these dresses before I settled on a white one. And when it was time for my entrance, they called me in on this old fashioned microphone and then we all did this huge dance number together.

"Miss _Monroe, _Get it?" She laughed at the reference to her name, but looked at him cautiously, afraid that he would think she was immature- she usually never cared at all but it was a habit she had picked up from a certain someone.

But Joe didn't at all.

"Oh yeah, I remember that one. I was laughing so hard that juice came out of my nose and Kevin and Nick had to help me clean up the couch on the tour bus."

Sonny looked at him. It was different, not having to defend herself anytime she said something ridiculous. But a good different.

And she could definitely get used to this.


	13. Chapter 13

A soft blue glow emanated from a giant globe that was hanging from the ceiling, and it's shadow slightly bathed the booth where they were now sitting. When she first sat down, she started to ramble about Wisconsin.

"...And then, my mom had to cut out the comb from my bangs…" She finished.

"Sorry, I know I talk too much, it's just a habit and I'm kind of nervous. The last time that a guy actually liked me was in the 4th grade. He made this giant heart card for me during Valentine's day, but then he stole my candy and started chasing another girl around during recess, so…" She trailed off.

"Oh gosh, that must have sounded really stupid."

"No, I think it's really sweet that you're close to your mom. I don't know what I'd do without my family, especially my parents. They come with us on every tour, but you probably already knew that."

Sonny looked at Joe in disbelief. He was funny and sweet and he could have cared less about looking like a fool. When she was sitting down, he helped her take off her jacket, and she was sure that he would have even pushed her chair in for her, had they not been sitting in a booth. She liked that he cared about his family, and that he wasn't rude or arrogant or inconsiderate. And most importantly, she loved that he wasn't Chad Dylan Cooper.

But, she was on a date with Joe Jonas, which was why she shouldn't have been thinking about Chad at all.


	14. Chapter 14

Sonny couldn't count how many times she had laughed since the waitress first came and set down their orders. Everything was going well for once, and she couldn't believe it.

Until, she realized that she had spoken, or in this case _thought_ too soon.

Joe had been in the middle of a story, explaining how he had gotten hit in the head by a teddy bear that was thrown on stage by a fan, when all of a sudden, someone came and plopped down unceremoniously next to her.

"Wow, this is such a coincidence, running into you here…Who would have thought, small world huh?"

Chad scooted his way closer and draped his arm around Sonny as he picked off a fry from her plate. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited everyone."

She looked up and saw Nico, Grady, Zora, and everyone from The Falls. Tawni was noticeably absent, and presumably still entertaining Nick and Kevin.

The three then sat down next to her and Joe, and the rest of the McKenzie Falls cast squeezed in after them.

"What are we having?" Grady asked, as they motioned for the waitress and began to order more food.

Sonny looked at Joe, who seemed bewildered but not angry. She, on the other hand was fuming and having a very difficult time trying to stifle it. The brunette laughed nervously and said, "Joe, would you just excuse me for _one_ second, I have to talk to _Chad_." She emphasized his name while suppressing a grimace, and waited for him to leave the booth. They both exited and walked away to a corner, as he kept his arm around her.

"What is your problem?" She said as she shrugged it off her shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Chad, in case you haven't noticed, I'm in the middle of a date here."

"Oh, is that what that was? Because I overheard Joe talking to his brothers and I just assumed that when he said dinner, he meant for everyone."

She was quickly losing patience, which always happened so easily when he was around. He had messed up quite a few times- okay, pretty much always, but he was sinking pretty low with this one, and she didn't understand why.

"Look, I know that you love to make my life miserable, but right now, is not the greatest time, okay?"

But she turned around as she felt someone's hand on her arm. It was Joe.

"Hey, Sonny…?"

"Yeah?" She asked, a bit breathless, since she had used much of her energy yelling at Chad.

"I'm really sorry but I think I'd better go- Nick, Kevin and I have dress rehearsals tomorrow since we're playing for the show, and it's getting kind of late."

"Oh…Yeah, sure." She said, not even trying to hide her disappointment.


	15. Chapter 15

"Mmm…Those were the best ribs I'd ever had!" Nico said, as they all climbed out of the limo and entered the lobby. Everyone was animatedly chattering as they all started heading back into their rooms.

"Hey Sonny, aren't you coming?" Zora asked her, while she stopped and waited for her friend.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys in a little bit okay?"

Grady just shrugged as he looked at Zora, but they didn't pry. She waited until they got into the elevator, and turned to Joe, who was patiently waiting next to her, with his hands in his jacket pocket.

"Joe, I am so sorry about tonight, I-" She began, but he silenced her but placing his arm on her shoulder.

"Don't even worry about it, I had a great time, Sonny." He told her.

"Well, I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow night right?"

"Yeah. Good luck with rehearsals."

"Okay see ya." He said, as he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. But he saw Chad watching them as he strolled through the rotating lobby door, and so he just leaned in and gave her a hug. Then, he walked to the elevator and got in.

"Night." She said, as she gave him a little wave and the doors closed.


	16. Chapter 16

Sonny didn't understand what had gotten into Chad tonight. Usually, he exploded or finally admitted what he really felt when she goaded him into doing it. But by now, if he had anything to say, it was too late. More often than not, Sonny always had a come back. But this time, she was completely silent as she exited the restaurant, furiously walked past Chad, and got in Joe's limo for the ride back to the hotel. She was not too pleased with him at the moment- pleased, being the operative word. In this case, it was more like a huge euphemism for 'I want to murder you so badly right now,' since even he could see it in her eyes.

"You know, we should really go there more often. Maybe I'll ask Brenda to make us ribs for lunch in the cafeteria." He said, as he walked up to her.

When Sonny heard him speak for the first time since they had talked inside the Café, she spun around and faced him.

"Is that all you care about?" She cried.

"Fine, if it bothers you that much, then I'll ask her to make grilled chicken instead." He said as he held both palms up in front of him.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, you are the most selfish, inconsiderate _jerk _on the planet!" She yelled, exasperated.

Usually, she was calm and collected, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. She was not in the mood to be mocked.

He noticed that they were causing a scene, as people turned their heads to see what the commotion was all about.

"Sonny, I think we should take this upstairs, people are starting to look at us." He said.

"You are unbelievable!" She told him.

"Sonny…" He said, fidgeting, as he started to feel self conscious.

"I knew it-see, that's what your problem is Chad, you always care what everybody thinks!" She said as he rubbed the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable.

"You know, I would have just liked to enjoy one night without having you mess it up." She continued.

"And for a second there, I actually thought that things had changed between us, but apparently, I was wrong. You never stop thinking about anyone but yourself." She said, as she stomped over to the elevator and frantically pushed the button, waiting for it to come down.

However, it was taking too long and she was beginning to tear up. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry, but a tear rebelliously escaped and she angrily wiped it away.

"Sonny…" He said, as he reached for her.

"All of you "real" actors are the same. You're no different from anyone else." She said as she abandoned the elevator, moved away from his grasp, and went to the stairs.

"And you know what?"

"I hope McKenzie _falls_ off a cliff."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey there. I'm sorry that I couldn't update yesterday, I was quite busy! But, the good thing is that now I can post two extra chapters- this is actually four chapters in one. I decided to put them all together because I noticed that the chapter list was getting really long- I usually stay away from really long stories like that, but here I am posting like 45 chapters! I also have a link of Joe being hit in the head with the teddy bear, which I referenced in Chapter 15 in case anyone is interested: /watch?v=6GsFR735NPQ (It's on youtube) Anyway, enjoy the rest!**

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Sonny was thankful that it was late when she got back to her room because everyone was already sleeping. As she quietly eased the door shut, she heard Zora shift around and turn her back away from the window. Sonny waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and heard Grady snoring soundly in the corner of the room. For a while, she stood debating whether or not she should just go to bed. But she knew that Tawni was a light sleeper and she'd get attacked by tons of questions if anyone saw her crying, so she went into the bathroom with her phone and locked the door.

Most of the time, Sonny always managed to smile, no matter how hard something was. And even though people ended up walking over her, or used her because she was so nice, she never became jaded or cynical. For the most part, she knew when someone wanted to take advantage of her. But there were times when she could never even see it coming.

She'd always put her faith in people, but in the end, they always let her down. And when it happened, it hurt.

She was Sonny Monroe, the girl who was everlastingly hopeful and happy, the dreamer, the peacemaker. But she was also human. And there always came a time when she'd break.

Yet, anytime it happened, she'd just pick herself up and keep going.

That's who she was. She wasn't afraid of looking like an idiot as she stumbled, or of who she was. Sonny wasn't afraid of anything. Except, maybe getting her heart broken.

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Sonny quickly screwed the cap back onto her lip gloss container and smoothed out her dress one last time. Everyone was already dressed and ready downstairs in the lobby. She had been completely honest the night before, but she still felt terrible for saying all those things. And she didn't want to face Chad yet, but she was late and she couldn't afford stall any longer. As she reached over to grab her purse, she heard a knock on the door.

As she got up to open it, she found a young man, dressed in a green and gold uniform. He lugged a cart that had a white sheet draped over it and sitting on all three levels, was a huge long rectangular silver platter.

"Room service." He said.

"Oh, I think you have the wrong room, I didn't order any room service."

"Are you Sonny Monroe?"

"Yeah, that's me." She said.

"Well, it's for you, it's a special delivery." He replied, as he pushed the cart slightly in the room. "Have a nice day." Then, she thanked him as he shut the door.

Near the top platter was a small blank card. She grabbed it and opened it to read what was inside.

_I hope I can make up for what happened yesterday._

_Good luck tonight, I'll see you then._

_- Chad_

She then looked under the cart nervously, checking to see that no one's head would come popping out. This wasn't the first time Chad had sent her something. It reminded her of the exploding lemon crème pies they all found conveniently waiting for them in the prop house, packaged in shiny wrapping paper last Christmas. That was the day Nico had tricked Portlyn into kissing him under the mistletoe, and when Sonny and Tawni had finally stopped fighting about the silver charm bracelet they had seen in the window of a store a week before.

Sonny then curiously uncovered the top of the first one.

The entire tray had rows and rows of cups filled to the brim with pink frosted strawberry yogurt.

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"Sonny! Sonny, over here! "Come and take a picture with Chad!" Sonny looked over as the photographers called her name. She had been standing with Grady, Zora, Nico, and Tawni, after they had all finished signing autographs for fans and had done all of their pre-show interviews on the red carpet.

During the ride over, she had tried to repeat what he had said a long time ago, something about how her egg salad couldn't fix everything, even though she had the best of intentions. She figured that she could at least hold that over his head, since he had just tried to win her over with frozen dessert. But Sonny could never stay mad for long.

And, it also helped that she had called her mother in the middle of the night, when she had locked herself in the bathroom, crying.

"Honey?" Her mom had answered groggily. Sonny winced as Connie expectantly began to panic. Over the years, Sonny had figured out a way to calm her mom down before she expected the worst, although it took a while. Connie finally relaxed when Sonny reassured her for the last time, that everything was alright.

Well, almost.

They had spoken for a long time and Sonny told her mom everything.

"…Sonny, I'm sorry to hear that your date with Joe was ruined, but the only reason that that Chad boy did any of that was because cares about you sweetie…"Her mom had said.

Which, wasn't exactly the reaction she expected.

Sure, he might have cared enough to put on a fake beard or help her up from the floor, but then he sabotaged her date.

She couldn't understand why he would have done that if he really did care.

However, even though Sonny wished that she could have had the privilege of seeing Chad Dylan Cooper being hit in the face with yogurt, over and over again, as he sat glued to a plastic cafeteria chair, that stupid strawberry yogurt _had_ softened her heart after all.

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Sonny extricated herself from Tawni and Nico and strolled over to where Chad was standing. He was alone now, since everyone had already gone inside the theater. At first they stood awkwardly, side by side, posing stiffly. "Chad, put your arm around her and look at the camera!" Sonny felt his hand, as he lifted it and placed it against her bare shoulder and she shivered. "Now look over here and smile!" The cameras flashed so rapidly that all she could see were spots, which danced in front of her eyes.

For a minute, she couldn't figure out why they were even taking pictures together.

But then she suddenly remembered about her guest starring role and the time that they had gone over their lines together.

That had been the first time she realized that she wanted to kiss him. And for the longest time, she had always denied that she had any feelings for him because, he was Chad Dylan Cooper. She was honest, but she wasn't stupid. And she was afraid that if she put her heart on the line, especially if it was for _him_ out of all people, she'd have a really good chance of getting hurt. But she was never any good at lying, at least in the long run.

Sonny thought back to that day. She had just finished another show and didn't even have time to change before she heard a knock on her dressing room door. Ambling over, she opened it, and there he stood, wearing a black leather jacket and aviator glasses. He held a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and stack of thick scripts in the other.

"Hi…" She said hesitantly, not even caring to hide her surprise. "Hey," he said, as he nonchalantly strolled in, handed her a script, and sat down on the couch. She watched him as she grabbed the script and clutched it to her chest. "Sure, you can come on in, thanks for asking." She said sarcastically, as she closed the door. But he just slid the glasses into his hair, placed the helmet on the table, sat down on the couch, and started flipping through his own stack of papers.

"What are you doing here, Chad?" She asked, as she went to sit beside him on the couch.

"I thought it'd be a good idea to go over the scripts since we'll be filming for a couple weeks and this is your first time.

It was true, she was really nervous about the whole thing in the first place. She didn't originally want to do it at all, since she was playing McKenzie's love interest. But she agreed when she found out that there wasn't going to be a kiss.

It was supposed to be some love triangle and McKenzie had to choose between Portlyn, the girl he had always known, and the new one who made him feel things he had never felt before, due to her refreshingly honest personality. But, he has to risk his reputation by being with her, and in the end, he realizes that that he can never have her.

"Talk about overly dramatic." She said, as she sat down in the gray swiveling chair in her dressing room and read her part for the first time.

Chad practically had to beg her to help him and she held it over his head for a while. Sure, she was nice, but she wasn't letting him get off easy.

"Plus, I wanted to help since I know that _serious _acting isn't really your type of thing." He said. It was just so typical for him to flatter and insult her at the same time.

"You know, what? For your information, I am perfectly capable of serious acting." She retorted in a muffled voice.

"Well, it's kind of hard to take you seriously in that."

"What?" She looked down and realized that she was still in the costume from her skit, which was a bear suit. She took off the bear's head almost defiantly, and held it in her lap.

So Random! had been doing a camping skit that day.

She would walk in and say "Honey, I'm home!" while Nico, Grady, Tawni and Zora screamed and ran around the set, which had a wilderness backdrop, a false glowing camp fire, tents and camping gear.

"Yeah? Well, what's with the helmet?" She said.

"In the latest episode, McKenzie was supposed to fly to Paris to rescue Portlyn from her ex-boyfriend and then win her heart in a vicious motorcycle race." He explained, and she rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it all sounded. No wonder their ratings weren't doing so well.

It's very noble-not that you'd know what that means." He replied, noting her reaction.

"Chad, when you came here to ask for help last week with this role, I slipped on my roller skates backstage when we were doing that roller derby skit and fell, remember?"

He just stared at her blankly.

"You stood there, laughed at me and then walked away. That wasn't exactly noble."

"Well, that is not the point." He was getting sidetracked again. He always managed to, whenever she was around.

"Look, let's just run through these lines okay?"

And the next thing she knew, he was holding both of her hands as he ran his thumbs over her knuckles. It was all part of the script, but he really surprised her. He was a good actor, she had to give him credit for that, because she suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach. Chad slowly leaned in and reached his hand up towards her face. By this time, she had wished that there was a kiss scene.

"Sonny…" He said, as he lowered his voice. The room was suddenly so quiet and all she could focus on his face, so close to hers. She was about to close her eyes, and part her lips when he gently thumped her on both of her shoulders. "Well, that was great. I'll see you at the line readings, then." Then he got up and grabbed his stuff. "Oh, and by the way you, have trail mix in your hair." He said as he left the room, leaving her in a daze.

"Sonny, stand closer to Chad." One of the photographers said, and she broke out of her thoughts. Chad pulled her closer to him as he bent down to tell her something. She turned to him, but he never had the chance to say anything, because they were ushered inside. The award show was about to begin.


	18. Author's Note

Hi everyone, I'm soooo sorry that I haven't updated this story in such a long time!

I really want to finish this story, but to be honest, I'm not sure where to take it. I have to say that I'm a little stuck right now (writer's block is the most frustrating thing ever!) and was wondering if any of you had suggestions about how I can finish it, or any ideas that you would like to pitch, I'd love to hear them, and I will credit you for the idea!

You can send them in comments or PM them to me. I would really appreciate it! :)

Thanks for those who have been reading!!


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